MADURAI: While the government is aiming high to make online education success, the ground reality is reportedly disclosing a story of confusion and mismanagement. In this backdrop, when the government asked them to conducting Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE), they feel it is impossible. Making students attend the online lessons is itself a challenge, they pointed out.
So far, the government took several initiatives, including digital classes, and televised lessons through Kalvi TV, to popularise the online education. Based on the results, the teachers were asked to create WhatsApp groups and share the contents of e-learn.tnschools.gov.in, and TNTP resources with the students. They were also asked to send assignments, worksheets to them. If students have any doubts, the teachers should clarify them. Assessing the students, the teachers should send feedback for each one of them to their school heads. Thereafter, the school heads should submit the periodical reports to the officials concerned.
TNIE spoke to a few students, parents, and teachers to learn about the shortcomings of the present learning procedure.
Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) will not be carried
A government school teacher explained TNIE the various types of evaluation, including formative assessment, and summative assessment, done during the class and said that CCE is not possible now. The government should not ask for it, she added.
Providing reasons, she said that most of the students are unaware of the televised classes. For them, their holiday got extended. Moreover, the learning process does not end with airing televised lessons; it involves conversing with the students, and using different teaching methods for each and every student, she pointed out.
No communication from schools
A Class VIII student of a government-aided school in the city, Jayakumar, said that he did not receive any communication from the schools regarding the online classes. He is waiting for the school to reopen to attend the classes, he said. Jayakumar is one of many students. Most of the government and government-aided schools students reportedly neither watch the televised lessons nor the WhatsApp content posted by the school management.
Teachers are asked to talk to students regularly
Dr T Thirugnanam Primary School (government-aided school) Headmaster K Saravanan said, "There are 265 students in the school. Of them, only 85 students have smartphones. Hence, we created a common WhatsApp group for classes I to V. All the teachers have been asked to interact with the students regularly to help them prepare themselves for the pandemic, apart from clarifying their doubts."
He opined that submission of assignments can be possible only if the teachers visit the students and collect them or the students come to the school.
Parents unaware of online classes
Parent of a Class VI student, Kalaiselvi, said that she is unaware of televised classes aired through Kalvi TV channel. "Neither we have a smartphone nor a TV. When I visited the school and enquired about textbooks, they told me that they would call me once they get them. The school did not inform us anything about the recent learning procedure. My daughter is simply enjoying her holidays," she said.
Shift based teaching is the only way
Tamil Nadu Post Graduate Teachers Association State Secretary KPO Suresh said that at present, students are sitting idle. It is essential that they do not lose their learning habit. "Nearly 20,000 primary schools are functioning across the State with minimum strength. Government teachers are ready to conduct batch-wise classes. They will teach the lessons following the precautions. Only then it will be possible to monitor the students," he added.
Community learning is possible
State Platform for Common School System's Tamil Nadu General Secretary P B Prince Gajendra Babu said, "There is not possible to get electricity and uninterrupted network coverage in all the places for 24 hours. The government needs to think about the children living in the hills, and remote villages. There is no alternative for them. Teachers should go and teach students in the interior villages. Community learning can prevent dropouts. However, now, any kind of evaluation is not possible. If done, it will not ensure social justice to all the students, he said.